A day after he was fired, Jurgen Klinsmann took to Facebook, where he regularly answered questions of fans, to say thanks to fans and his players whose calls and texts of support had been very emotional. He reviewed his five and a half years in charge and looked ahead to 2017 and 2018.

"Hi everyone, thanks so much for taking the time to watch this quick message. I just simply want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you for the amazing ride over the last five and a half years. Itís been an amazing experience. Itís been a huge, huge honor to lead the national team over that amount of time.

"Weíve had some amazing experiences together. 2012, a record year; 2013, another record year with winning the Gold Cup; 2014, getting out of the group of death against Ghana and Portugal in Brazil, with all of you down there. Then, obviously, 2015, a bit of a disappointment with the Gold Cup, but then 2016, we picked it up and we played an amazing, unforgettable Copa America this summer.

"Itís come to an end. Obviously, youíve gotta respect that. I just want to say thank you so much, especially to our fans, the American Outlaws, which grew unbelievably over the last years, having chapters now all over the place, and getting bigger and bigger.

"A very, very special thank you I want to say to all of the players. The response from them yesterday when the news came out is overwhelming. All the text messages, all the calls I received from the players of support is very emotional for me, and I really, really appreciate it. I just wish them the best of luck.

"I was a 1,000 percent convinced we were gonna qualify for Russia 2018 after those two losses. Itís now down to a new coach, getting the job done, but Iím still convinced, you know, he will get and the team will get the job done. Weíll have a tremendous 2017, and then hopefully a tremendous World Cup in Russia.

"That being said, again, thanks so much for all of you. Hope to see you soon somewhere on a soccer field out there. Keep supporting your team. Itís your national team. You own that team. Push them in all the qualifiers now coming up to get all the points that we need in order to be in Russia 2018. See you soon. Thanks so much.

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"It is not possible to make successful policy in a state of ignorance or indifference to what goes on in the real world." --- Martin Daly.

Bruce Arena: 'I would have done this for free'By Paul Kennedy, Soccer America.

It all came quickly. First, losses to Mexico and Costa Rica that put Jurgen Klinsmann's jeopardy. Then his firing on Monday that led U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati and CEO/secretary general to approach LA Galaxy management about speaking to Bruce Arena. By late morning on Tuesday, Arena was back as U.S. national team coach, a job from which he was fired in 2006 after eight years on the job.

ďI never expected to be back in this role the way it came about over the last 48 hours," said Arena in a conference call with media on Tuesday afternoon. "However, I think any coach in our country would always be thrilled to have the opportunity to coach one of our national teams, so obviously when the opportunity presented itself -- I hate to say this now to Sunil -- I would have done this for free. It didnít work out that way, we did agree to a contract."

Arena, who spent parts two seasons with the New York Red Bulls and nine with the Galaxy, said he was a better coach than he left the national team a decade ago.

ďIíve learned a lot," he said. "Iíve had 10 years on the field at the club level and Iíve had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented players in the world and understanding how they work and how to build a team; and Iíve continued to grow on the tactical side, continued to grow in learning how to deal with players and learning how to plan and playing away and playing in big matches. I think 10 years later Iím better prepared for this job than I was in 1998 and 2002, and ultimately 2006. Iím hopeful that the experiences that I have are going to benefit the program. You know, one of the things you learn from experience is you see things a lot clearer and a lot quicker than you did previously, and the game has slowed down a bit where I can see as a coach, and in my position, how things are happening on the field. Iím better at identifying the strengths and weaknesses of players and I think Iím better at how you build a team."

In a veiled knock at the national team under Klinsmann, Arena said the USA had the players but it needed to develop a "team concept."

ďI havenít spoken to [captain] Michael Bradley," he said, "but I have had communication with a couple of players over the last 10 hours or so and have an understanding, we need to build a chemistry with this team and have a common goal and really work on a team concept. I really believe individually and positionally we have good players and we just got to get them working together as a team. There are no real secrets in how you build good teams. It takes a lot of hard work, it takes communication, it takes discipline and it takes some talent. I think we have enough talent to build a good team and end up in Russia in 2018. Itís going to take a little time, a little bit of patience and a lot of hard work.Ē

Arena coached a few of the players in his previous tenure as national team coach -- Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard were on the 2006 World Cup team, and Bradley made his senior debut in 2006 -- others he coached or coached against MLS but others he only knows from watching them. On bringing back players like Jonathan Bornstein and Benny Feilhaber whom Klinsmann had ignored, Arena said he was open to looking at everyone.

"I think they and other players are good players," he said, "and weíre going to give those type of players the opportunity to be back in the national team program. How it ends up, I canít answer at this point. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Iím well aware of the qualities of those two and others and weíre going to look closely at those players as we begin a domestic camp in January and ultimately select a roster for the games in March. So, no names are off the table. However, I would say that its highly unlikely weíre going to bring many new players into the program. Weíre at a time right now where we need to get results and we need to have a team thatís ready to go in March.Ē

One of the questions raised about Arena's hiring was his commitment to bringing in players born or raised in other countries telling ESPN FC in 2013 that "players on the national team should be -- and this is my own feeling -- they should be Americans. If they're all born in other countries, I don't think we can say we are making progress." Eight of the 25 players Klinsmann had in camp for the Costa Rica game were born and raised in other countries.

ďIf I made those comments," Arena responded, "I certainly donít believe thatís my attitude. As a starting point, one of my favorite players in my eight years as national team coach was Earnie Stewart. I believe that anyone that has a United States passport is certainly eligible to play for our national team. I embrace all players that are eligible to play and I just want to make sure their heartís in the right place and when they put the U.S. jersey on theyíre playing for that crest on that shirt. Itís important to me; I have a great passion for this national team and I expect the same out of all players. I am all for any players that are eligible to play for us and I really look forward to working with our foreign-nationals as well as our domestic players."

At 65, Arena is the oldest national team coach in at least the last half century, but he believes age isn't a factor in terms of his ability to relate to players.

ďI donít think the age matters, as a starting point," he said. "We just elected a 70-year-old man as president of the United States. Weíre still going pretty strong in this age group. How would I describe myself as a coach? A hard worker. I believe Iím a playerís coach. I like to believe I have a good understanding of how players are thinking. What I really know is how to build a team. I understand all the qualities and circumstances that develop into making a team and, again, Iím hopeful those qualities will allow me to get this team moving at full speed when qualifying starts again in March.Ē

« Last Edit: November 23, 2016, 08:20:21 AM by asylumseeker »

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"It is not possible to make successful policy in a state of ignorance or indifference to what goes on in the real world." --- Martin Daly.

Oscar Ramirez has cited dressing smartly, stress and being recognised in public as the cons of doing a job he loves. The 76-times-capped former midfielder assumed the Costa Rica reins last year, and has overseen their perfect start to the Hexagonal phase of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russiaô qualifying.Los Ticos sit two points clear at the summit of the six-side group, having won 2-0 in Trinidad and Tobago and thrashed USA 4-0 in San Jose.

Ramirez usually wore casual shirts, with several buttons undone, or a t-shirt during his time in the dugout of Costa Rican club colossuses Alajuelense, often underneath an unzipped training jacket. Since assuming his countryís controls, however, the 51-year-old has been suited and booted.

ďI donít like it,Ē Ramirez told La Naciůn. ďI donít know, I feel uncomfortable in the suit and tie, but itís an issue that Iíve already got used to. I do it because I know itís formal.Ē

Adapting to the formalities of guiding Costa Rica is something the self-confessed introvert has had to deal with.

ďI know that I now get a little more attention from people,Ē said Ramirez. ďWhen I go to public places, they ask me for photos. You already know what they want because Iím a public figure, so to speak. I prefer to go out with family. If I go alone, people start to bother me, whereas if Iím with my family and the kids, they respect my privacy more.Ē

One public place Ramirez avoids is football stadia to watch the Costa Rican Primera Divisiůn. ďPeople start conversations, they pat you on the back, and when itís over the thing youíve seen the least of is the game. They distract you a lot, which is why Iíve got used to recording the games.Ē

Ramirez also revealed that, in and around the Russia 2018 qualifiers, he almost only communicates with his four children via a Ďgood morningí or Ďgood nightí in a WhatsApp group, and has little interaction with his wife as he focuses on Los Ticos.

ďAt home weíre very clear: with my wife, occasionally weíll talk at night,Ē said the No10 in the Costa Rica team that beat Scotland and Sweden to reach the Round of 16 at Italy 1990. ďShe knows that, if I call, itís because I need to speak to her or need some favour. She tries not to bother me with situations in the house because she knows that, when Iím with the national team, Iím fully occupied. On match days she comes and brings me the suit Iím going to wear, we talk a little, and it goes very quickly. I canít give her much time.

ďBeing a coach is a very stressful job, although I try to make my life as simple as possible, to not put more pressure than there already is on myself. I must feel at ease with what I do without worrying about what some people say.

ďThe pressure on me has increased, because I now coach the national team. Itís more difficult and stressful, but likewise itís [more] enjoyable. The stress increases during the qualifiers. Two days after the last game [against USA] I still had trouble falling asleep. It was only three days after the game that I began to relax.Ē

Costa Rica have appeared at four World Cups, with their best performance coming at Brazil 2014. Despite being the outsiders in a group including England, Italy and Uruguay, Los Ticos won it and eliminated Greece on penalties in the Round of 16, before losing a shootout with the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

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"It is not possible to make successful policy in a state of ignorance or indifference to what goes on in the real world." --- Martin Daly.

Fire U.S. Soccerís President, Too? Thatís Different, and ImprobableBy Sam Borden, The New York Times.

At the end of a conference call on Tuesday during which he explained the decision to fire Jurgen Klinsmann as coach of the United States menís national team, Sunil Gulati, the president of U.S. Soccer, talked about the sportís steep rise in popularity in this country. One result of that spike, Gulati said, is ďthat pressure has increased on anyone involved in the game.Ē

He was, of course, including himself. And while much attention in American soccer this week has been devoted to Klinsmannís ouster and the hiring of Bruce Arena for a second stint as coach of the national team, plenty of scrutiny has also been directed toward Gulati ó the man who essentially hired (and fired) Klinsmann, as well as fired (and hired) Arena.

ďThese decisions are always hard,Ē Gulati said. ďWe try to be methodical about them. That wasnít easy yesterday on a personal level or a professional level. But it was something I felt we had to do to put ourselves in the best position.Ē

In many other sporting circumstances, Gulati might have been removed along with Klinsmann ó the rough equivalent of a general manager being fired along with a struggling coach as part of a total housecleaning. But U.S. Soccer is not the New York Jets, either in form or in function, and Gulati is not a sports executive whose sole job is to assemble a single team from top to bottom.

For some frustrated fans, that premise may seem incongruous or maddening, but it is the reality. Consider this, too: Gulati draws no salary from U.S. Soccer to compensate him for his grief.

Because U.S. Soccer is a nonprofit body that oversees all facets of the sport in the United States ó as opposed to a for-profit professional sports team or league ó its most senior positions are elected posts held on a volunteer basis. Gulatiís primary job is being an economics lecturer at Columbia; on Sunday, in addition to weighing Klinsmannís fate, he taught a makeup class.

Yes, there are procedures by which Gulati could be removed by U.S. Soccerís board of directors, but such impeachments are highly unlikely and generally designed for situations in which a board member has done something illegal.

Gulati, for whatever one might think of his recruitment of (and commitment to) Klinsmann, is charged with leading U.S. Soccer in all areas, regardless of that particular areaís public interest. Some, like the flux of the menís national team, are high-profile and tumultuous. Others, like the World Cup champion womenís national team and its fight for pay equality, are cantankerous and complex. Still others, like the expansion of the federationís development academy for young players, are important but not widely publicized.

The list goes on: the federationís decision to enact important new restrictions on youth players and heading the ball; the federationís financial support for a womenís professional league; the federationís determination that promotion and relegation is not currently a viable option for this countryís league system; the federationís interest in bidding to host another World Cup.

All of it is Gulatiís ó and the federationís ó bailiwick. All of it matters.

Taken in sum, the conclusion is this: Gulati, who is also a part of the powerful FIFA Executive Committee and who has become a significant power broker among global soccer executives, is not going anywhere any time soon.

The current bylaws of the federation call for its next presidential election to be held in 2018, and it is expected that Gulati ó who has been president since 2006 and who ran unopposed in two subsequent elections ó will seek one more term from a voting population that represents youth associations, adult associations and other soccer stakeholders. At this point, there is no reason to think he will be challenged, let alone that he will lose.

Should it be this way in the future? That is not an unreasonable question, and it is one some high-level soccer executives, including U.S. Soccer board members, have asked themselves. In American sports, the person responsible for hiring the teamís coach does not generally also sign off on, say, the teamís marketing and sponsorship agreements. And some soccer federations elsewhere have a specific administrator or executive whose primary job is running that countryís menís national team, giving thoughts on player selection as well as coaches. Perhaps U.S. Soccer has grown so much that it is now untenable for it to avoid having a similarly formal distinction.

In current practice, Gulati and Dan Flynn, the federationís chief executive (and a salaried staff member), made the call on removing Klinsmann and hiring Arena, even if they consulted with other members of the board along the way. The board ultimately approved the moves, though it is difficult to imagine that anything would have been done differently even if, for example, a powerful voice representing youth soccer had thought Klinsmann was doing a terrific job.

To his credit, Gulati has not deflected his connection to Klinsmann. He has acknowledged many times that he pursued Klinsmann, on and off, for years, and he does not shy from the truth that the on-field results he had hoped for did not materialize. The United States did not do well at the Gold Cup last year, did not qualify for the Confederations Cup, did not qualify for the Olympics and did not start this final round of World Cup qualifying with anything resembling success.

Gulati accepts his share of responsibility. But he also believes that U.S. Soccer has never been in a better financial position than it is now, has never had as much global influence as it does now, and has never been in as good a position to host another World Cup as it is right now. Gulatiís mandate is bigger than just Klinsmann or Arena, bigger than just the menís national team.

Is the menís team important? Of course. That is why Gulati flew across the country on Monday morning to meet with Klinsmann at a hotel in the Los Angeles area to inform him of the change before sitting down with Arena, the coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy, and beginning the process of bringing him back aboard. That is why he fired the coach he had wanted to hire for so long.

But by the time Arena set to work concluding his contract negotiations with Flynn, Gulati was gone. On Tuesday, while Arena answered questions about his return from California, Gulati was back in New York, checking on other federation business and taking part in the call after finishing up another obligation: office hours for his students, who are preparing for big tests of their own.

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"It is not possible to make successful policy in a state of ignorance or indifference to what goes on in the real world." --- Martin Daly.

Won 7, Drew 2, Lost 1 {to SPAIN} in qualification then lost a play-off to Sweden 1-0 over two legs - There's nothing mediocre about Italy. They just could not make the final hurdle.

Right now the press calling for the coach's head and the President to step down. They say the coach never had the caliber to manage the Italian squad, not a good tactician and lacking credibility with the players, he was a mid-table Serie A manager at best. De man didn't even show up for the press conference.

Watching some of the WC play-off between Rep. Ireland and Denmark. Denmark demolish them 4-1 with 4 mins to go. The Danes have game. They can knock ball real good. And this game is in Dublin. 5-1 at the end.

The Italian Football fed. lose some govt funding after failing to qualify for the WC.

Italian football will lose Ä2.6 million in funding after the national team failed to reach a World Cup finals for the first time in 60 years.

All Olympic sports receive funding from the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) with the funds based on criteria including results and success.

Italy's defeat to Sweden in a qualification playoff means the country's football association (FIGC) will be given a smaller slice of the cake, with other sports earning greater shares.

"We've got to look at Olympic qualification, women's football and rankings," Giovanni Malago, the president of CONI, told Sky Sport Italia.

"We're going to have to discuss with the future FIGC president how we can obtain better results.

"Certain parameters and criteria are involved in the distribution [of funds] and football is going to take a reduction of Ä2.6 million, which will impact on about seven to eight percent of our overall contributions."

Malago added that the cutback "really should have been far superior," saying it was "a very minor reduction" that had been agreed across the board.

The wider Italian economy is also set to suffer from Italy's World Cup absence, which means the tournament is no longer expected to provide a spending boost in many sectors.

The FIGC is preparing for elections, with president Carlo Tavecchio having resigned days after sacking coach Gian Piero Ventura.